PCB bioaccumulationin three mullet species — A comparison study

• Author(s): Batista, Joana ; Pato, Pedro ; Tavares, Silvia ; Duarte, Armando C. ; Pardal, M. A.
• Date: 2013
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10316/25748
• Origin: Estudo Geral - Universidade de Coimbra
• Subject(s): PCBs; Chelon labrosus; Liza aurata; Liza ramada; Bioaccumulation; Public health
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

Polychlorinatedbiphenyls(PCBs)arelipophiliccontaminantsthattendtoaccumulateinorganisms.PCBs weredetectedin Chelon labrosus, Liza aurata and Liza ramada, alongdifferentagegroups. L. ramada presentedthehighestconcentration,anditincreasedwithage,whereas C. labrosus and L. aurata concentration remainedconstant. L. ramada high concentrationcanbeattributedtoitsecologicalniche, since thisspeciesisabletoaccumulatePCBsalongitsdifferentagegroupseveninlowenvironmental contamination conditions.PCBs101,118,138,149,153,170and180werethecongenersthatmore contributed tothesespeciescontamination,beingPCB138and153thecongenerswithhigher concentration. Mulletsareedibleinmanycountries,beingimportantin fisheries andaquaculture. L. ramada is themostcommonmulletforcaptureandhumanconsumption.Allspeciespresented concentrations belowtheregulationlimitestablishbytheEuropeanUnion,andthereforesafeforhuman consumption. The authorswishtothankallthecolleaguesthathelpedinthe field and laboratorywork.ThisworkwassupportedbyFCT(Fundaçãopara a CiênciaeTecnologia)throughaPhDgrantattributedtoJ.Baptista (SFRH/BD/48262/2008),fundedbyProgramaOperacionalPotencial HumanoofQRENPortugalandbythe Portuguesebudgetthroughthe Ministry ofScienceTechnologyandEducation.P.Patoacknowledgesa postdoctoralfellowshipfromFCT(SFRH/BPD/35068/2007).